Listening to families in your school--along with those that have left and some that chose other options--is the best way to understand how you can create greater value and grow enrollment.

You have different tools for listening: electronic surveys, interviews, observations, social media, etc. But how can you more accurately hear what current and prospective families are really saying, thinking, and feeling? The best way to improve your knowledge and understanding of families in your target market is to consciously make the effort to hear not only their words, but, more importantly, appreciate the complete message being sent. 

In the final episode of the "Enrollment Blitz" webinar series, we focused on strategies for onboarding new families in order to increase their enthusiasm and likelihood to reenroll.

In our "Enrollment Blitz" webinar series focused on Maximizing Marketing. How can you take full advantage of your marketing dollars to produce the best results? To expand your marketing expertise, be sure you know the difference between paid media and earned media, and that you have a good understanding of inbound marketing strategies.

Enrolling students must be someone's job and everyone's job. Certainly the admission office is responsible for inviting students, but the other board, other administrators, faculty, and families also have an important role to play. An effective way to share the load to grow enrollment is through family mobilization. As we discussed on the School Growth Webinar this week, below are some ways to gain broader involvement.

Enrollment Blitz is the School Growth webinar theme for May, as most schools look for ways to grow enrollment over the summer months. Knowing how to strategically and efficiently connect with your target market is the key. Like everyone else, you have limited time and money, so you can't afford to use a "scatter shot approach" that lacks focus and tangible returns.

Dr. Albert Niemi, chair of the business school at SMU, recently shared his annual report and predictions. I have attended his presentation for the last eight years and have found him to be more accurate than not. His U.S. economic reflections and forecasts for 2015 included some important insights that should influence your plans regarding enrollment and fundraising.

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Keeping families and students committed and loyal is important for every school, just like companies who sell to schools want to keep their customers close. I recently heard about a company that is threatening to sue schools that opt for a competitor's service. Not smart! Limiting a client's ability to choose the best available option is a not an advisable customer relationship strategy. Instead, you might want to try a combination of the following enrollment building methods.

How would a visionary design a school if starting today? Clean slate. No limits from tradition or the past.

What attracts students to your school is shifting from curriculum and safety to connection and relevance. Schools have used viewbooks, brochures, websites, and social media pages to market their "Excellence in Education," but what people seem to be emphasizing in their search for a school is the experience.

Two facts about school enrollment:

1. Administrators and marketing may attract families to enroll, but teachers, coaches, and staff are the reason they will stay (return or re-enroll).
2. Enrollment season for next school year started on the first day of this school year.

If you want to maximize enrollment,
go above and beyond to serve your families